Sunday, August 31, 2014

The French Central Directorate of Homeland Intelligence (DCRI) has announced that two Muslim girls, aged 15 and 17, were arrested in the Tarbes and Venissieux neighborhoods a week ago after authorities uncovered a plot to carry out a suicide bombing inside the Great Synagogue of Lyon during the Jewish New Year's celebration, when the Synagogue would have been packed with worshipers. They were indicted on August 22nd for conspiracy to commit terrorism.

According to JSS News and Europe 1, a source from the DCRI revealed that the girls communicated via social media. “These girls were part of a network of young Islamists who were being monitored by security services.”

In a way, that's even scarier since it reveals that what France is dealing with are dedicated amateurs.

The Great Synagogue of Lyons is one of the landmarks of the largest Jewish community in Europe.It was built between 1863 and 1864, and was designated as a monument historique in 1984. The building was renovated just this year, and the planned attack on it would not only have resulted in a horrible loss of life but a major blow to the morale of France's Jewish community at a time when they already feel besieged by the much larger and increasingly violent Muslim community, mostly from North African that the French imported.French jihadists are even using FaceBook to hunt Jews down and target them for attack.

Both the Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF), France's main Jewish organization and the National Bureau of Vigilance Against Antisemitism (BNVCA), one of France’s leading anti-semitism watchdogs called for the French Interior Minister to upgrade security measures to foil further attacks, particularly during the upcoming High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, which occur in September and October during the Hebrew month of Elul.

There have already been a number of attacks on Jewish synagogues, institutions, businesses and school of late, to the point that they're becoming 'mini-fortresses.'

I can't escape the conclusion that a great many Europeans will end up being just fine with this new version of the Final Solution..no death camps to try to stay downwind of this time, no `ingathering' or messy arrests to ignore...just a line of people requesting visas because they are unable to stay and live in peace anymore.

One of President Barack Hussein Obama's 'accomplishments' in the Middle East was his illegal intervention in Libya to save jihadis and al-Qaeda affiliated fighters in Benghazi when Khaddaffi and his forces were ready to wipe them out. That led to Khaddaffi's arms falling into the hands of the jihadists, deadly attacks in Algeria and Mali, the beginnings of The Islamic State ( then known as ISIS) and the creation of a failed state in Libya,where various Islamist and jihadi groups fight over power and now have a major strategic base to train, arm and recruit.

Today, the American Embassy fell into the hands of one of the militias, the Dawn of Libya a coalition of Islamist and Misrata forces took over the building. Journalists who were invited to walk through the captured building noted that most of the equipment there remained untouched.And the jihadis appear to be enjoying the swimming pool:

The U.S, evacuated the embassy in late July as fighting broke out between the government, various jihadi militias including a a number affiliated with Al Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM) and the forces of one General Khalifa Hifter, a military commander who seeks to step into Khaddifi's shoes and who has been trying to take over the country since May.

There's no telling how many people have died because of the President's decision to take Khaddafi out, but I guarantee you, it's at least ten to twenty times the number of people who were killed in the Israel's defensive war in Gaza that the president was so exercised about.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder had received a formal request to extradite a Hamas official involved in the kidnapping and murder of an American citizen.

Israeli civil rights attorney, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner sent a letter to Attorney General Holder and Assistant AG Leslie Caldwell, requesting the Department of Justice extradite Hamas West Bank commander, Saleh al-Arouri, for his role in the kidnapping and murder of Naftali Fraenkel, one of the three teens abducted and slain in the 'operation' in Israel that Hamas has claimed credit for.

Al-Arouri, who runs Hamas in the West Bank from his country of residence, Turkey, was seen on a video last week, making a speech at the fourth conference of the World Union of Islamic Sages in the Islamic Republic, and saying openly that Hamas’ Qassam Brigades had carried out the June kidnapping and killing of Fraenkel and the two other Israeli teenagers, Eyal Yifrach and Gil-ad Shaar.

Al-Arouri claimed that he was "speaking on behalf of Hamas leader Khaled Masha'al.”

The Israelis have also captured one member of the three man cell, Hussam al-Qawasmi, who confessed and gave evidence on Al-Arouri's involvement.

Darshan-Leitner, Founder and Director of the Shurat HaDin–Israel Law Center, a non-governmental organization (NGO), mentioned the video in her letter to the Attorney General and asked the Department of Justice to “take all necessary steps to compel the government of Turkey to extradite” as well expresses confidence “that an investigation into the evidence of the kidnapping and murder of Fraenkel will result in the indictment and extradition of senior Hamas leader al-Arouri from Turkey.”

According to existing treaties between the U.S. and Turkey, the Islamic Republic is legally obligated to extradite al-Arouri if he “committed a criminal act that would be punishable by Turkey, had the offense been perpetrated within its territorial jurisdiction,” wrote Darshan-Leitner. “The US is the only country that can bring Arouri to justice.”

Israel and Turkey likewise have a similar extradition treaty, but the Islamist Erdoğan government has repeatedly refused to honor it, something understandable if you look at President Tayyip Erdoğan's support of Hamas, history of anti-semitic outbursts and anti-Israel statements.

Once al-Arouri has been extradited and tried in America, Israel could then request that the US extradite him to Israel to face charges in the kidnap and murder of the other two Israeli teens.

Well, the Obama Administration came out with a number of sympathetic statements and pro-forma condemnations when the three boys were first kidnapped and then murdered by Hamas. Now they have a chance to do something concrete to bring the murderer of an American citizen to justice. Will they?

Before you answer, here's a factoid to chew on. According to U.S. law, the FBI is required to investigate the death of an American citizen overseas. That policy has never been implemented when either Fatah or Hamas have been the perpetrators.

The explosives manual recommends teaching civilians how to build and store bombs in their homes. According to the manual, the goal is “to transfer combat from open areas to built-up urban areas, which serves the ‘resistance’ [i.e. Hamas] and fighters of Islamic Jihad.” ...

In an especially incriminating section entitled “Factors for Successfully Hiding Weapons in Homes,” the manual explains how civilians can be used to hide explosives:
“(1) The activity of hiding weapons in homes needs to be done with secrecy and should not have a military character.

(2) Placing equipment in residential areas needs to be done with household items.
(3) You must use residents of the area in order place the equipment inside.”

While the goal of the booby traps may be to kill Israeli soldiers, a Hamas combat manualsuggested another reasonfor using the tactic:

The destruction of civilian homes: This increases the hatred of the citizens towards the attackers [the IDF] and increases their gathering [support] around the city defenders (resistance forces[i.e. Hamas]).

Booby-trapping civilians homes is one more documented way that Hamas has used human shieldsin violation of international law.

The Council has spoken, the votes have been cast, and the results are in for this week's Watcher's Council match up.

"If I have learned one thing from life, it is that race is the engine that drives the political Left. When all else fails, that segment of America goes to the default position of using race to achieve its objectives. In the courtrooms, on college campuses, and, most especially, in our politics, race is a central theme. Where it does not naturally rise to the surface, there are those who will manufacture and amplify it." - Ward Connerly

“..Liberals see racism where it doesn't exist, fabricate it when they can't find it and ignore it within their own ranks.” - Michelle Malkin

“Since neither black animosity nor the Left’s falsehood of “racial tensions” is based on the actual behavior of the vast majority of white Americans, nothing white America can do will affect the perceptions of many black Americans or of the leftist libel.” - Dennis Prager

This week's winner,Joshuapundit's Blackgammon: Eric Holder Plays the Game in Ferguson is my contention that the Obama Administration's obsession with the Michael Brown shooting has little to do with justice, civil rights, or ultimately even with Michael Brown himself. Here's a slice:

Backgammon, on the surface, is a pretty straight forward game. You roll the dice and move your pieces. But beneath that seeming openness are hidden strategies that may only reveal themselves later.Today, Eric Holder traveled in person to Ferguson, Missouri, where the Aug. 9 shooting of black teen& Michael Brown by white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson during an altercation has sparked massive violence, looting, protests and media coverage.Holder's version of the game was revealed as he made his moves today in Ferguson.Ostensibly he was there to oversee the massive Federal investigation of the Brown shooting with the goal of trying to arraign Officer Darren Williams on civil rights charges should the St. Louis County Grand jury fail to charge him with murder ala' George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case in Florida. But this was essentially a campaign stop at government expense.Read his remarks here and note the parts I've emphasized:"I am the Attorney General of the United States, but I am also a black man," Holder told Ferguson residents at a community meeting. "I can remember being stopped on the New Jersey turnpike on two occasions and accused of speeding. Pulled over. ... 'Let me search your car' ... Go through the trunk of my car, look under the seats and all this kind of stuff. I remember how humiliating that was and how angry I was and the impact it had on me.""The eyes of the nation and the world are watching Ferguson right now," Holder told a group of community leaders assembled at a local community college. "The world is watching because the issues raised by the shooting of Michael Brown predate this incident. This is something that has a history to it, and the history simmers beneath the surface in more communities than just Ferguson."

Let's translate this, shall we?"See Y'all, I'm black just like you are and that comes first before anything. So I understand your totally justified rage and anger against the white power structure. It's them that are on trial, not just a police officer although he'll do as a symbol ofeverything you feel whitey and the police have done to you over the years.That white power structure, you know, those white Republican Tea Partyers have always oppressed you,and this is just the latest outrage. I understand that, and that police officer looks just like them so they're going to try to protect him. But since we're in charge, we're going to do our very best to see that you get what you want. Because remember, I'm black and I look like you and so does the president, so you all need to vote Democrat in November to make sure we stay in charge."

In our non-Council category, the winner was former AP Middle East correspondent Matti Friedman writing in Tablet magazine with An Insider’s Guide to the Most Important Story on Earth submitted by Joshuapundit submitted by Joshuapundit. The 'most important story on earth' is Friedman's satirical way of referring to media coverage of Israel, and he gives you an insider's view of exactly how this story is twisted, propagandized and misrepresented by the media..and more importantly, why. Some of the reasons will astound you.

ANNOUNCEMENT:Starting next week, the Watcher's Council is adding an exciting new feature!

Every Tuesday, the members of the Council will nominate a Weasel of the Week..some public figure who merits special singling out for ignominy, stupidity, cowardice, corruption or just a particularly evil deed. The Council members will provide a short explanation for their choices, and the nominations and explanations on why each choice is worthy of being singled out for special attention will appear Tuesday morning.

We'll vote, (we're working on making this public so you can weigh in) and every Thursday the winner of our own special Mark of Shame, The Weasel of the Week will be highlighted in all his or her putrid, despicable glory. Who will it be?

Don't miss it!

OK, here are this week’s full results. Both GrEaT sAtAn"S gIrLfRiEnD and The Razor were unable to vote this week, but neither were subject to the usual 2/3 vote penalty:

See you next week! Don't forget to tune in on Monday AM for this week's Watcher's Forum, as the Council and their invited guests take apart one of the provocative issues of the day and weigh in...don't you dare miss it. And don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us Twitter..'cause we're cool like that!

The state assembly just passed SB 967, already passed by the state Senate. This bill requires colleges and universities receiving public funds to enforce an “affirmative consent” standard on all campus sexual activity.

Among other things, the bill, by Democratic Sen. Kevin de Leon of Los Angeles requires investigations of sexual assaults to seek whether there was "affirmative consent". Silence or lack of resistance doesn't amount to consent under the new standards, nor is it consent if the party bringing the action, the victim claims she was drunk or otherwise intoxicated at the time.

Let's examine what those fine words mean, shall we?

If you're, say, a sophomore at UCLA dating a fine specimen of California co-ed you met in Owning White Privilege 101 and things progress romantically to the point where the two of you are apparently willing to make the Beast with Two Backs, S T O P R I G H T T H E R E.

You must first get the girl's full and explicit consent to any and all sexual activity the two of you might have had in mind....positions, who does what to whom, which orifices are involved, everything. And since if things go sour later (for example, if you start dating a different girl) it's your word against hers as to what happened, so you had better get it in writing..and notarized. Or video tape a detailed consent statement, at the very least. How romantic!

Even then, you're not really covered. The girl can say she initially consented but then changed her mind and you refused to stop. Or she can say she didn't say anything because she 'felt intimidated'. Or she can say she was drunk or high at the time. Can you prove she wasn't? Several days, weeks or even months after the fact?

I am not kidding.

The White House and The Department of Education pressured many colleges to change the burden of proof standard that they use in disciplinary proceedings over sexual harassment and sexual assault in 2011. And unfortunately, given the politics, many colleges didn't have to be pressured at all.

They now routinely restrict a male student's right to due process by using ‘preponderance of the evidence’ as the new, lower standard of proof instead of the higher ‘clear and convincing’ standard.

Among other things, the new guidelines demand that students “not be allowed to personally cross-examine each other.” Court rulings like Donohue v. Baker (1997), concluded that cross-examination must be allowed in campus disciplinary hearings, but that isn't being taken into consideration any more. Frequently, male students are not even allowed an attorney in these college inquisitions.

According to the the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), “Preponderance of the evidence” means that if a school thinks there's as little as a 51 per chance that the accused is guilty, the accused must still be disciplined.

Yes, ‘preponderance of the evidence’ essentially means that if a College disciplinary board thinks you just might be guilty or the girl's a half way decent actress, they will find against you. You will likely be asked to leave the college no matter what the actual facts are. Why take a chance and open themselves up to liability or risk being accused of political incorrectness just to protect your rights? And then, with that on your record, try to get into another college, let alone grad school. And even if you're not kicked out of college, the stigma remains, and it could even make the difference in where you are able to be hired.

The hellish thing about this totalitarian overreach is that it does absolutely nothing to protect college girls from rape. Does anyone in his or her right mind imagine that an actual rapist on campus would have any problem physically intimidating his victim to sign a consent form?

A sensible male going to college in California can only take one message from this. Just as dating someone you work with no longer makes any sense for pretty much the same reason, it no longer makes sense to date California co-eds, at least if you're in college. And that especially applies to a co-ed in your own school .Of course, that doesn't totally protect you, since the way things are now you can be accused of sexual assault even if you had no sexual contact with the girl in question and the odds are definitely not in your favor. But avoidance at least makes it less likely.

Since the two of the most common places for women meet their future spouses (or at least they used to be) is at work or in school, this new male bashing nonsense all but guarantees that there will be a lot of sad and lonely single California women in their late twenties to mid thirties wondering why they can't seem to meet a decent guy who might be a potential mate. And unfortunately, it's not just California.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Welcome to the Watcher's Council, a blogging group consisting of some of the most incisive blogs in the 'sphere, and the longest running group of its kind in existence. Every week, the members nominate two posts each, one written by themselves and one written by someone from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council.Then we vote on the best two posts, with the results appearing on Friday morning.

Council News:

You can, too! Want to see your work appear on the Watcher’s Council homepage in our weekly contest listing? Didn’t get nominated by a Council member? No worries.

To bring something to my attention, simply head over to Joshuapundit and post the title and a link to the piece you want considered along with an e-mail address (mandatory, but of course it won't be published) in the comments section no later than Monday 6PM PST in order to be considered for our honorable mention category. Then return the favor by creating a post on your site linking to the Watcher’s Council contest for the week when it comes out on Wednesday morning

Simple, no?

It's a great way of exposing your best work to Watcher’s Council readers and Council members while grabbing the increased traffic and notoriety. And how good is that, eh?

The governor, who made the remarks when introducing Mexico's Presidente Enrique Peña Nieto has already done his bit to underline that message. California is a sanctuary state, where law enforcement is forbidden to cooperate with ICE or even hold illegal aliens who have a deportation order outstanding so the feds can pick them up. California's social welfare agencies are also forbidden by law to check immigration status when handing out benefits, as are the public schools,there are no voter ID laws, the California DREAM Act extends full educational benefits, state financial aid and in state tuition rates to illegal aliens and California's Trust Act, gives driver's licenses to illegal immigrants using the easily obtained and forged Matricular Consular card as ID.

Presidente Nieto graciously acknowledged the governor's remarks by calling California "the other Mexico," and thanking Brown for his efforts and those of state officials for embracing laws that that extend state benefits to immigrants.

Well he might. Those illegal aliens represent billions of dollars repatriated back to Mexico, a major source of income. At the same time, the costs of medical care, education, use of California's infrastructure and other social welfare benefits aren't a concern for the Mexican government, because they're paid for by State and federal taxes.

Actually, I can't disagree with Nieto.California is becoming the other Mexico. According to Pew Research, Latinos make up nearly 40% of the state's population, the majority of whom are Mexican and an estimated one third of America's illegal aliens call California home...at an estimated cost per year to the state of between $19 and $22 million, depending on whose counting and how they're figuring.

Meanwhile, the state's unemployment rate continues to remain high and the flow of illegal aliens keeps jobs hard to find and the cost of labor low.

By the way, don't be misled into thinking this is just California's problem. It's coming soon to a theater near you, as they say in the movie biz.

Scotland will hold a referendum next month on whether to remain part of the UK or become an independent country. While a large number of voters are undecided and the jury's still out on whether the Scots will vote 'yes' on independence, one interesting result of a yes vote could very well be the end of Britain as a nuclear power.

Currently Britain bases all of its arsenal of 58 Trident II D-5 missiles and 160 deployed nuclear warheads in Scotland, along with its four Vanguard-class submarines that can be used to launch them. The subs are based at Faslane, an inlet at the mouth of the River Clyde on Scotland's west coast near Glasgow.

The Scottish National Party(SNP) as well as the other parties pushing for independence have pledged that an independent Scotland would be a nuclear-free zone within four years of breaking off from Great Britain. That position appeals to a large part of the Scottish polity, who feel that the UK basing its nuclear arsenal in Scotland rather than in England or Wales makes Scotland a target in the event of hostilities because it's 'housing England's nukes.'

A “yes” vote would almost certainly force what's left of the United Kingdom to find a new home for the weapons and a new home port for its nuclear subs. The problem is that at this point, that facility simply doesn't exist.Britain might be able to lease the base from Scotland for a couple of years, but that's about it.

To build a new base would cost billions Britain doesn't have and might take close to a decade. It's likely that Britain itself might choose to scrap its nuclear deterrent instead. That's especially true given the state of Britain's military today, including the renowned Royal Navy, which has been downsized almost to the point of being a coastal defense force.

As it is, the UK plans to slash an additional 30,000 personnel from Britain’s already reduced armed forces by 2020, and any kind of military spending is unpopular, particularly among Britain's expanding Muslim electorate. The UK made a point of quickly declining to participate in air strikes on Islamic State President Obama announced earlier this month, limiting their participation to a few humanitarian supply airlifts.

To add to this factor, a vote for Scottish independence would essentially mean a divorce, with the accompanying negotiations over facilities, bases, armaments and personnel. Scotland would need to develop and equip its own defense force, and since Scots are well represented in Britain's military and many would likely want to serve in the newly composed Scottish forces, the attrition in Britain's forces might be even more severe than what's on the drawing board.

Perhaps I should include a personal comment at this point.

There are a great many arguments back and forth about Scottish independence, and frankly I have no particular dog in this fight except that I normally favor people running their own affairs.

As for the military aspect, neither an independent Scotland or what constitutes Britain's current government seem overly valuable as allies just now. But I'm absolutely in favor of the UK scrapping its nuclear deterrent. It's a bad idea to leave nuclear weapons in the hands of who may likely be taking over in a few years.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Every week on Monday morning , the Council and our invited guests weigh in at the Watcher's Forum, short takes on a major issue of the day, the culture, or daily living. This week's question:What Do You Think The Grand Jury Will Decide In The Michael Brown Shooting? Why?

Simply Jews : I can't weigh in with an informed opinion, but, judging by the previous cases, the Grand Jury may very well pass the whole to a trial. This, if Frontpage is to be believed (and sometimes it does go overboard, unfortunately) is not a good sign.

But let the justice (or, rather, law) do its thing...

Bookworm Room :I hate to say this, but I think it depends on the jury's racial composition. I can't say what a majority white jury would do, because I don't have the evidence before me. However, sadly, I have no doubt whatsoever that a majority black grand jury would issue an indictment for first degree murder.

This leads me to a different issue. Back in 1939, when Hattie McDaniel was the first black woman to win an Oscar for best supporting actress as Mammy in Gone With The Wind, she made a brief speech:

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, fellow members of the motion picture industry and honored guests: This is one of the happiest moments of my life, and I want to thank each one of you who had a part in selecting me for one of their awards, for your kindness. It has made me feel very, very humble; and I shall always hold it as a beacon for anything that I may be able to do in the future. I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry. My heart is too full to tell you just how I feel, and may I say thank you and God bless you.

It later turned out that the studio wrote those words for McDaniel, especially the bit about her sincere "hope I shall always be a credit to my race," a line that deeply humiliated her.

I can understand McDaniel's humiliation about having any words put in her mouth, especially words that emphasized her race, but I've never found the notion of being a credit to ones race distasteful. Perhaps that's because I'm Jewish, and we Jews, like the blacks, have always been the "other" race.

What one Jew does always has the potential to be a negative stereotype applied to all people. Thus, I found Bernie Madoff's frauds disgusting, because they destroyed people's livelihoods, but I also found them embarrassing because, as a Jew, I hate it when a fellow Jew feeds into a negative Jewish stereotype.

One of the things I find so incomprehensible about modern American blacks is that they do not impose standards on their fellow blacks. There is no expectation of a self-correcting mechanism. If you're a black who does bad things, you're not someone who brings shame on the black community. You are, instead, just another victim, along with the black teens you've killed, the Korean or Indian store owners you robbed and pistol whipped, and the whites you injured or murdered in a "knock out" game. The black community, rather than denouncing a drugged out, weaponed up, murderous black teen as a disgrace to the race is embraced and has his image printed on t-shirts.

Thinking about it, what I've just said isn't a different issue at all. It explains why I'm certain that a majority- or all-black grand jury would indict the Ferguson police officer in the blink of an eye. As far as they're concerned, blacks are always the victims no matter how degraded or violent their behavior. And if it's always someone else's fault, an indictment against whichever "someone else" happens to be available is a no-brainer. Racial pride, rather than bringing with it high standards, means no standards whatsoever.

The Right Planet :I don't have a real great track record concerning predictions on the outcomes of judicial matters, nor am I much of an authority on such matters. With that being said, I've read numerous articles that seem to focus solely on the racial makeup of the grand jury. I would hope the focus would be on getting at the truth on just what happened during the confrontation between Officer Darren Wilson and Michael Brown. But, that's just "hope." I'm not holding my breath, especially considering the top law enforcement official in the land, Attorney General Eric Holder, has been quoted as saying "change is coming." What does that mean?

My biggest beef in this whole Ferguson affair is hearing people like Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, et al., say they will pursue a "vigorous prosecution" of Darren Wilson, as opposed to a vigorous investigation. It amazes me how many on the left-side of the political spectrum demand we read Miranda rights and provide due process to known and suspected terrorists, yet the officer involved in the Michael Brown case has already been tried in the court of public opinion, and has essentially been given a "death sentence." No due process for Officer Wilson. He's been found guilty until proven innocent. And even if Darren Wilson was cleared of any wrongdoing in the Michael Brown shooting, I doubt it would make any difference to those who believe that Wilson is a "racist white pig" who ruthlessly "executed" a young black man walking in the street.

So, what's my prediction? Based on the facts as they stand now, or lack thereof, I would predict Darren Wilson would be cleared of any charges of "police brutality" that was solely fueled by "racial animus." But I tend to be a bit on the logical side, which means I'll probably be wrong concerning the ultimate decision and findings by the grand jury.

The Independent Sentinel: If the lynch mob has anything to say, Officer Wilson will go to jail for life without any further evidence. There will be a trial for political reasons regardless of what the evidence shows. There is too little information right now to guess either way, but I have faith in the criminal justice system and in the jury. Most will do the right thing.

JoshuaPundit: In a sense, it doesn't matter what the Grand Jury decides. There's an old, sorta silly '70's movie called Billy Jack in which the heroine, a young school teacher, gets gang raped by some local thugs. One of her students who sees the end of her ordeal and comes down to untie the teacher urges her to report it, telling her 'you can't let them get away with this.' The teacher's response? 'They already have.'

No matter what the Grand Jury decides, unless he's an extraordinarily strong person Darren Wilson's life is crap from now on..just like George Zimmerman's, Bernie Goetz, Steven Pagones and a number of other people who have, shall we say, had life changing interactions on the wrong side of political correctness. The quest for the Great White Defendant never ends.

The Grand Jury? I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them take the path of least resistance and come up with something to take this to trial. Remember, it's other people's money they're spending, not theirs. Ironically enough, I think the fact that reportedly only three of the jurors are black increases the chances, since none of the non-black jurors, the politicians or the prosecutor will want to be labeled ra-aaa-a-cists.

The big problem here when it's trial time for the prosecution is that The 'Gentle Giant', Michael Brown clearly assaulted a police officer fairly forcefully. That gives the defense a large amount of leeway.

Another point worth considering is that the game that's being played here really has nothing to do with Michael Brown, or 'murder', or civil rights, or the police. It's not even about convicting Darren Wilson of anything, really. It's about something very, very different.

Laura Rambeau Lee, Right Reason: On August 9th,2014, 18 year old Michael Brown was shot and killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Two weeks later, despite unrelenting media coverage, this is still the only fact we know.

The tension in this community between its predominantly black population and the predominantly white Ferguson police department appears to have been simmering for a longtime. The usual race baiters arrived on the scene expressing outrage at the “execution” of this gentle giant by the police officer and demanding justice. While they say they want peace and justice, the only justice that will satisfy them is the conviction of police officer Darren Wilson.

The entire country, in fact the entire world, looks on as America’s ongoing struggles with racism take the forefront in the tragic shooting death of a young black man by a white police officer.

Not only have the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton inserted themselves and their divisive rhetoric into this volatile environment. President Obama actually took time from his vacation to make a statement, expressing his and Michelle’s condolences to Brown’s family over the heartbreaking death of their son. Attorney General Eric Holder and his very selective Department of Justice determined this to be a case worthy of investigation, conducting a dual investigation along with local officials. His words to the black community expressing his personal experiences with racism and racial profiling tip the scales of justice towards a bias that should cause great concern to every American. The FBI launched a civil rights investigation, putting more than 40 agents on the ground in Ferguson.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon called for a complete and fair investigation, justice for the Brown family, and also vigorous prosecution of the case.

Missouri State Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal called for St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorne yBob McCulloch to be replaced by a special prosecutor believing he cannot possibly be impartial because of his ties to law enforcement and the fact tha this police officer father was killed by a black man. She has also said if there is not a conviction, to “be prepared for the entire city to have looting.”

Governor Nixon(D), Attorney General Eric Holder (D), and Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D),along with the Revs. Jackson and Sharpton, have pre-determined the guilt of police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting of Michael Brown.

The decision to prosecute the police officer will be political, because when it comes to issues of race, Eric Holder is right. We are a nation of cowards. As long as insisting that justice be based on facts and evidence alone is deemed racist,as long as we allow the race baiters to continue to pick at old wounds and not allow for healing, as long as people continue to threaten violence if “justice”does not go their way, America will continue to be divided by the progressive politics of race.

Ask Marion : I would like to believe that our legal system works and that both Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson involved and Michael Brown will get a an impartial fair shot at justice based on the facts heard by 12-impaneled Grand Jurors , who are all U.S. citizens and residents of St. Louis County, are all at least 21-years-old and who have not served on a grand jury in the past 10 years.

Such a grand jury began hearing evidence in St. Louis County on Wednesday August 20th in the death of Michael Brown, who was shot August 9th by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson.

Grand juries decide “whether a crime was committed and whether there is probable cause to believe the defendant committed it.” If so, the grand jury can issue an indictment, which is a formal charging document.

In this case, the grand jury will decide whether or not to indict Officer Wilson, who fatally shot Brown. They will consider a range of charges, from first-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter To issue an indictment, at least nine members of the 12-person panel must agree to do so.

But I am putting my belief in the American judicial system and the 12-Americans who are serving on that Grand Jury and praying that I’m right; for if we can't believe in that we really are doomed.

Well, there you have it.

Make sure to tune in every Monday for the Watcher’s Forum. And remember, every Wednesday, the Council has its weekly contest with the members nominating two posts each, one written by themselves and one written by someone from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council. The votes are cast by the Council, and the results are posted on Friday morning.It’s a weekly magazine of some of the best stuff written in the blogosphere, and you won’t want to miss it.

And don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter..’cause we’re cool like that, y'know?

Sunday, August 24, 2014

The Islamic State scored a major victory today over Syrian leader Basher Assad's forces when they broke through after a two week siege to capture the strategic Tabqa airbase southwest of their northern stronghold of Raqqa. Hundreds of the 1,000 Syrian soldiers trapped there were killed.

Islamic State killed army commanders and pro-government militiamen, decapitating them before putting their bodies and heads on display.

This was the last Syrian base in the northeastern province of Raqqa, which means the Islamic Stae has now gained full control of an entire Syrian province for the first time in the civil war.

Islamic State is also close to complete control of the rebel-held; province of Deir el-Zour. They are picking off rebel strongholds one by one, and many members of other rebel groups are flocking to join them.

The next move by Islamic State could be towards the strategic city of Aleppo.Assad's regime troops, Hezbollah fighters and Iranian Revolutionary guard are close to completing their capture of the strategic city from the Syrian rebels, but they could then end up encircled and cut off by Islamic State forces.

One of my sources told me that Islamic State is withdrawing its fighters from the central Syrian province of Homs, after handing over its headquarters to its allies, the al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front. This could mean a two pronged assault on Aleppo from both the south and from Tel Abayad and Raqqa in the east.

Meantime, the official Saudi news agency reported that the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan are meeting in the Red Sea city of Jeddah for a major conference.

Here's what I'd bet money they're discussing:

What are Barack Obama and the Americans going to do? Islamic State is not only a threat to Iraq and Syria, not only a threat to the Sunni Arab countries but a huge security threat to the United States.Aside from a few arms shipments and air strikes, thus far the U.S. has not been overtly involved, certainly not the way President Obama was in Libya.

Islamic State has already rolled back almost a year of advances made by the Syrian military and their Hezbollah allies against the insurgency.Is President Obama going to go in full bore? And if he does, is he going to extend the U.S. military action to Syria?

If the president decides to go into Syria, Obama is basically preserving the rule of Basher Assad, and relieving pressure on Iran and Hezbollah, allowing them to consolidate their own Shi'ite bloc, something the Saudis, Egypt, the UAE and the other GCE countries see as just as much a threat to them as Islamic State...while Qatar sees Islamic State as a major force to combat the Shi'ites and supports them more or less covertly.

After declaring for nearly four years that 'Assad must go', Barack Obama is in a position where he just might end up sending in U.S. troops and air power to save Assad, believe it or not.That of course would put America on the same side as Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. And it would also have a direct effect on the security of Jordan and Israel, both of whom border Syria because taking out Islamic State would simply remove the counter weight to Iran and Hezbollah and facilitate their consolidating their own nuclear armed Shi'ite bloc.

Just to show you how convoluted this all is, at the same time the Obama regime is making air strikes on Islamic State (who are largely armed with SOTA U.S. weaponry captured in Iraq from the fleeing Iraqi army)an dmaking common cause with Hezbollah. Assad and Iran, the U.S. is completing an $11 billion arms deal with - wait for it - Qatar, who had been funding Islamic State and Hamas! Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is in this particular transaction with both hands.

Another point of discussion, probably on the sidelines is what to do if America does nothing much, a not unlikely scenario. What defense arrangements can be made to counteract both Islamic State and the Shi'ites if that happens, especially with Iran on the verge of going nuclear? Or should the Sunnis give limited backing to Islamic State against Iran and the Shi'ites?

And what role can Israel play? Yes, believe it or not. Faced with a war on two fronts and a dysfunctional American president, the Sunnis may even be looking at Israel, the most powerful country in the region in a new light.

Friday, August 22, 2014

The Council has spoken, the votes have been cast, and the results are in for this week's Watcher's Council match up.

"This is a court of law, young man, not a court of justice." - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

"In keeping people straight, principle is not as powerful as a policeman."- Abel Hermant, Le Bourgeois, 1906

“Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong.” - Muhammad Ali

This week's winner, The Right Planet's #Ferguson: Facts Don't Matter Anymore is an excellent rundown on the Michael Brown shooting and the subsequent riots in Ferguson, Missouri by someone fairly close to the action. Here's a slice:

Facts and details are starting to leak out concerning the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri—albeit slowly. But facts don’t seem to matter anymore in our idiocracy, i.e. mobocracy. If they did, I doubt Ferguson would be in flames right now. But I digress.

Earlier this week, I was listening to a caller on the Dana Loesch radio show who allegedly had spoken with the spouse of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson—the officer who shot Michael Brown. The caller claimed Michael Brown became involved in an altercation with Officer Darren Wilson, and even tried to take his gun—which allegedly went off during the struggle. The caller also stated Brown bum-rushed the police officer.

Additionally, an audio of some alleged eyewitnesses to the lethal shooting of Michael Brown has recently come out and seems to corroborate the details provided by the caller on Dana Loesch’s radio show.

Now, an autopsy report published in the New York Times seems to corroborate the two aforementioned sources, showing Michael Brown was shot from the front, not the back, as is alleged by some who claim Officer Darren Wilson mercilessly “executed” Michael Brown simply because he was black.

The notion Michael Brown was simply an innocent 18-year-old “child” who was ruthlessly “executed” by a “trigger-happy, racist white pig” was brought into question when surveillance video appeared to show Michael Brown committing a strong-arm robbery of a convenience store, roughing up the store’s owner and brazenly walking off with approximately $50 worth of Swisher Sweets cigars in the process.

The suspect in the video shoving the store’s proprietor is wearing the exact same clothes and shoes as Michael Brown, and matches Brown’s physical description, when he was shot.

I’m sorry, for the doubters out there, if that isn’t Michael Brown, my name is Barack Obama. Michael Brown was no “child”; he was a young man who stood 6’4″ tall and weighed 292 pounds, and he apparently had an attitude to boot.

Despite these important details that are now starting to come out, the city of Ferguson, Missouri, has been plunged into utter chaos and mayhem for the past week. Last night, the situation in Ferguson escalated to a point where Missouri Governor Jay Nixon felt it necessary to call in the National Guard.

Traffic opened again in downtown Ferguson along West Florissant Avenue, the center of an hourslong running battle between heavily armed police and hundreds of protesters Sunday evening that started at about 8:30 p.m. Police said Molotov cocktails thrown at them, as well as shootings throughout the neighborhood, forced them to respond with smoke devices and tear-gas canisters.

Before anything was really known about the circumstances surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown, a throng of “outside agitators” flocked to Ferguson to inflame an already volatile situation—namely, the main-stream media, who apparently seems hellbent on creating even more racial strife by stirring the pot and fanning the flames. This is what “social justice” looks like, and it has nothing to do with the rule of law, but it has everything to do with furthering a cynical political agenda.

In our non-Council category, the winner by a nose was Kurt Schlichter with The GOP Needs to Return to a "Feared By Our Enemies" Foreign Policy submitted by Joshuapundit. I nominated this, quite simply, because it's one of the best short capsulizations of what I think America's foreign policy direction ought to be that I've read in quite some time. Short, sweet and simply superb.

See you next week! Don't forget to tune in on Monday AM for this week's Watcher's Forum, as the Council and their invited guests take apart one of the provocative issues of the day and weigh in...don't you dare miss it. And don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us Twitter..'cause we're cool like that!

Dorian Johnson, who was with Michael Brown when he was shot and is considered the prime witness for the prosecution if Officer Darren Williams goes to trial has been charged with theft and with filing a false police report. He had an outstanding warrant for a 2011 theft in Jefferson City Missouri that surfaced and pleaded guilty for filing a false police report related to that theft. The outstanding warrant surfaced when St. Louis ABC affiliate ABC 17 cross referenced Johnson’s name against several records, discovered the warrant and informed the authorities.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the details of the 2011 charges:

Johnson was charged with a misdemeanor after giving police a false first name after he was arrested on suspicion of theft. He later pleaded guilty after he was accused of stealing a package containing a backpack belonging to someone else from an apartment complex. When he was arrested in that case, he identified himself as Derrick Johnson and said he was 16. The warrant was for failing to appear in Jefferson City municipal court to answer to the theft charge..to which will now be added the charge of filing a false police report, a felony in Missouri I believe.Johnson has reportedly pled guilty to that charge as well.

None of this has anything to do directly with the Michael Brown shooting, but it does affect Dorian Johnson's credibility, which has also come under question because of a number of falsehoods he told in his original testimony. His story, repeated ad nauseum via the media was that Brown never reached for Wilson’s gun, never punched the policeman, had his hands up in surrender, was shot in the back and was 'executed' by Officer Williams who stood over him and fired two shots into brown when he was already lying wounded on the ground.

Almost all of this has been debunked by the first two autopsies, by ballistics and by Officer Wilson's medical records, showing his injuries. Brown did indeed punch Officer Wilson, there was a struggle inside the police vehicle for the cop's gun during which at least one shot was fired. The Michael Brown did in fact punch Officer Wilson and inflict severe injury on him, Brown was definitely not shot in the back and the last two shot were fired from two to three feet away from where Officer Wilson was standing while the rest were fired from a further distance away,giving credence to other witness accounts that 6' 4", 292 Pound Michael Brown had charged the policeman rather than having his hands up 'surrendering.'

Since Johnson has also admitted that he was with Michael Brown when he committed robbery and assault at that convenience store, that could also make him an accessory to that crime as well.

Don't be surprised if the prosecution declines to use Dorian Johnson as a witness.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) filed a long awaited report today on President Obama's swap of five senior Taliban commanders for alleged deserter Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl.

“[The Department of Defense] violated section 8111 because it did not notify the relevant congressional committees at least 30 days in advance of the transfer,” the GAO report said. “In addition, because DOD used appropriated funds to carry out the transfer when no money was available for that purpose, DOD violated the Antideficiency Act. The Antideficiency Act prohibits federal agencies from incurring obligations exceeding an amount available in an appropriation.”

In the report, the GAO rejected the Obama Administration's attempt to sluff this off as legal and their attempt to paint the law as 'unconstitutional'.
“It is not our role or our practice to determine the constitutionality of duly enacted statutes,” the report says. “In our view, where legislation has been passed by Congress and signed by the President, thereby satisfying the bicameralism and presentment requirements in the Constitution, that legislation is entitled to a heavy presumption in favor of constitutionality.”